Two of Us
New Light Theater presents the NYC premiere of Ross Howard's drama about John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, and his wife, Gloria Abe.
Flashing between Honolulu and New York City, 'Two of Us' shines a spotlight on the lives of Chapman and Abe, and the social and domestic pressures that led him to assassinate John Lennon in 1980. A showdown between the real and the fantastic, 'Two of Us' examines timely issues such as economic hardship, gender equality, mental health, celebrity culture, and gun violence.
- Official Site
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- 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Already closed
- Access Theater / The Black Box (Soho/Tribeca)
Cast & Creatives (14)
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Reviews (16)
2 Critics' Reviews
"This is all interesting stuff, both historically and psychologically. Yet it doesn’t quite fill up the space and time of the drama...Sarah Norris directs skillfully...But with all that solidly creative work, the themes don’t expand enough to fully inhabit or fully enliven the action. The script makes its points repeatedly, a couple of scenes go on too long, and I was left feeling only partially engaged by all the good work happening on stage." Full Review
"It seems as though these transitions and the set exist to show just how out of place Chapman is—his social skills are a bit lacking, especially sexually, and the musical transitions allow the audience to see his stiff attempts at dancing. But the transitions tend to cut off all of the tension built up in the previous scene...Even if this extended metaphor doesn’t work for you, you may still leave wanting to find your high school copy of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and give it another read." Full Review
14 Members' Reviews
See it if you are interested in romantic relationships which examine mental health issues or would like a hypothetical look into Chapman's life.
Don't see it if you do not like smaller productions or are bothered by stories including mental health issues.
See it if You are interested in the story behind John Lennon's murder (although don't expect details to be 100% accurate).The presentation is clever.
Don't see it if You want a straightforward presentation of the story, as several characters are figments of the imagination.
See it if you are interested in superficial psychological examination of killers of celebrities generally or killer of John Lennon in particular
Don't see it if you are irritated by stereotypical depiction of Christianity or ethnically Japanese women and confusion of Sara's Judaism with Christianity
See it if You are interested in the story of John Lennon. You are interested in what was going on in the life and mind of Lennon's killer.
Don't see it if You are not interested in John Lennon and his killer. You don't want to hear an interesting story.
See it if want a trip into the mind of an assassin with tangible passes thru ego, super-ego & id,
Don't see it if you aren't familiar with the Lennon/Chapman story or at least that the play is attempting to comment on the status of an assassin's madness
Also I almost lost interest in the 1st scene not having the Lennon/Chapman ... Read more Read less
See it if you like-thought provoking plays-plays that table tough issues in our culture-theatre
Don't see it if you want-a lighthearted piece (this is an avant garde exploration of mental health, gun violence and celebrity)
See it if you are familiar with the story of Lennon's killer; a nice dive into his mindset
Don't see it if you want a straightforward linear play; don't have an imagination to picture the thought going on inside the two main character's heads
See it if People who want to know the inner workings and the history of the man who killed Lennon.
Don't see it if You don't want to know what really happened.
See it if you like plays based on real people, good music, nontraditional theatre
Don't see it if you are offended by skeptical views of Christianity
See it if you like the music of the 70s and 80s, plays inspired by real life events/people, TERRIFIC acting, interesting projections, cool costumes
Don't see it if you like traditional plays
See it if You want to see the internal struggle of a damaged mind portrayed visually on stage. You have an interest in psychology.
Don't see it if You would find a visual representation of a damaged mind upsetting.
Also The theatre comes with a built-in Stairmaster: 4 flights!! There's an ... Read more Read less
See it if you can accept an artfully fractured production bringing you into the fractured mind of Lennon's killer. Fine period music, dance & costumes
Don't see it if you need time continuity. Scenes unfold in seemingly random order. Also if you are a serious Christian as Chapman's religion is significant
See it if you're interested in the mindsets of murderers, or if you like stories that explore famous tragedies from another perspective.
Don't see it if you would find the story of a paranoid schizophrenic who didn't get the help he needed too upsetting.
See it if A story about John Lennon
Don't see it if You don't like stories about someone with mental problems.